Magnetization plateaus in the spin-1/2 antiferromagnetic Heisenberg model on a kagome-strip chain

Abstract

Spin-1/2 Heisenberg model on kagome lattice is a typical frustrated quantum spin system. A basic structure of kagome lattice is also present in kagome-strip lattice in one dimension, where a similar type of frustration is expected. We thus study the magnetization plateaus of the spin-1/2 Heisenberg model on a kagome-strip chain with three-independent antiferromagnetic exchange interactions by the density-matrix renormalization group method. In a certain range of exchange parameters, we find twelve kinds of magnetization plateaus, nine of which have magnetic structures breaking either translational or reflection symmetry spontaneously. The structures are classified by an array of five-site unit cells with specific bond-spin correlations. In a case with nontrivial plateau, 3/10 plateau, we find long-period magnetic structure with a period of four unit cells.